Va. farmers help residents in ‘food deserts’

Land turned into working farm that educates and feeds low-income and inner-city families

December 25, 2011

GOOCHLAND, Va. (AP) - Over the past two years, Dominic Barrett and Steve Miles have transformed a fertile piece of Goochland County soil into a source of produce, education and inspiration for low-income, inner-city families.

Shalom Farm was founded by United Methodist Urban Ministries of Richmond in 2008 with a goal of providing fresh, healthy food to high-poverty "food deserts" - low-income neighborhoods that do not have grocery stores - in the Richmond area.

Since Barrett, 27, and Miles, 35, came aboard in 2010, the nonprofit effort has done that and more, educating those communities on the benefits of the food, the methods of producing it, and even the business of selling it.

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Nestled on the sprawling grounds of Westview on the James, the farm has in a matter of years tripled in size, this year producing 35,000 pounds of fresh produce from broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes and cucumbers to squash, watermelon, potatoes and collard greens.

The farm's mission was a perfect fit for Barrett and Miles, using the skills and backgrounds of each in complement with the other. Barrett serves as the farm's director, while Miles is manager and volunteer coordinator.

Miles, a Goochland resident who was born and raised in neighboring Hanover County, had worked on small farms, nurseries and greenhouses for years after earning a master's degree in theological studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School.

"For me, it's the perfect job," Miles said of his work. "It meshed really well with my faith and what I believe is good work in relation to caring for the earth and being able to provide for people who are in need. After doing this for a living, I can't imagine doing anything else."

For Barrett, a Lynchburg native who came to Richmond from South Carolina where he was running youth, family and schools programs for a nonprofit, it was a chance to continue his community outreach while focusing on his other passion - food.

With only two full-time employees, the operation depends largely on a handful of interns and an army of volunteers (1,200 this year) and the 85 community, church, business and civic groups that visit the farm from time to time to learn and lend a hand.

"That's really what makes it, at least from my perspective, so special," Barrett said. "It's only made possible with volunteer farmers who may have never had their hand in the dirt before but come out and have that experience for the first time and are able to do their own part to change the food system."

The farm itself is what Barrett describes as a "learning lab," designed for basic agricultural education as well as production.

"My favorite groups are the ones that come out from the city," Miles said. "A lot of these kids have never even been off of the pavement. So when they get to come out and dig their hands in the dirt and pull carrots, or pick some greens and eat it right off the plant, that's cool. That's exciting."

The other value, of course, is the harvest itself, which is distributed to underserved communities in a variety of ways ranging from food pantries and church dinners for those in need to cooking classes and after-school programs.

The farm's work focuses specifically on the area of Belmead, Oak Grove and Hillside Court in Southside; Fulton Hill in the East End; and Church Hill.

"A lot of the people we work with - and this is not hyperbole - have often never had a fresh head of lettuce in their kitchen," Barrett said. "So we grow things that are going to be approachable."

The farm this year launched a pilot project with Neighborhood Resource Center, creating a youth-run farm stand to teach kids about growing and selling foods. The program incorporated elements and business, math and science while providing affordable access to fresh produce in neighborhoods like Fulton Hill, generating a small amount of income to the Resource Center in the process.

Miles and Barrett have also helped start small gardens at some inner-city schools and communities, with the goal of teaching students and community members to sustain them.

And while Barrett and Miles love what they do, the mission, they say, is to dramatically reduce demand, for the betterment of the people they serve.

"Our goal is to be a part of changing the dynamics in these communities," Barrett said, "so that five or 10 years form now, the local markets, corner stores and outside grocers can't resist being there because there are folks who've had access to healthy foods, have been educated about the importance of healthy food and whose palates have become adjusted to eating produce."